Places to Visit - Reviews

Venice, by Anthony Adolph

Byron reached Venice on his Grand Tour of Italy in May 1818.  For the next year Venice was to provide him with ample quantities of romance, quarrels and poetic inspiration.

When we went on holiday to Venice I expected to find a well-trodden ‘Byron trail’. Yet the guidebooks I had made only cursory mention of him. It seems that, whilst Byron in Venice is a big thing to us, he was only one small glitter in the brilliant diadem of Venetian history.

Luckily, I already knew that when Byron lived here as a grand seignior he rented the Palazzo Mocenigo near the Grand Canal.  After some initial guidebook induced confusion we identified the Palazzo, now a museum of 18th century Venetian costumes, and negotiated the network of narrow streets northwest of the Rialto Bridge to find it. It was closed that day, and its road-facing façade gave away nothing of its Byronic history. Its real front, however, was on the other side, facing a small canal that flowed into the Grand Canal.

I squeezed down a narrow passageway leading to this little waterway and leant out precariously over the lapping green water to peer at the magnificent, solemn neoclassical balconies, and the tall, arched gate through which Byron would have passed entering and alighting from his gondola, two centuries ago. I felt trapped, slightly dizzy, acutely aware of the peril of the foetid water below.

I’m sure Byron would have been pleased.

Lake Geneva, by Debbie Hopkinson

Lake Geneva to the Swiss, Lac Leman to the French. Well worth visiting, well worth a stay. At one end there is Geneva, Villa Diodati and the Chateau de Coppet, at the other, the Chateau de Chillon, the imposing, atmospheric chateau of the 12th century. Byron is supposed to have visited the castle whilst staying in Geneva. His name is carved in one of the columns of the caves beneath. The views of the mountains at this end of the lake are breathtaking. With the fantastic scenery and history of this area, we felt as though we never wanted to leave.

Kefalonia, by Lesley Wells

On 16 July 1823 Byron set sail aboard the “Hercules” from Genoa, Italy bound for Kefalonia, where he arrived on 2 August. Byron stayed in Metaxata, a village in Kefalonia, for several months and it was here that he wrote his epic poem, “Don Juan”. A marble bust of him takes pride of place in front of where his house had once stood. An inscription in Greek pays affectionate tribute to the man, so fondly and warmly remembered by Greeks even today.

Still today in Greece you will find boys and men with the name Viron, the Greek word for “Byron” – still popular as he ever was!

Messolonghi, by Lesley Wells

From Kefalonia, Byron sailed to Messolonghi, where he joined Prince Alexandros Mavrokordatos, leader of the Greek rebel forces fighting against the Turks and Turkish occupation of Greece. Together they planned an attack on the Turkish-held fort at Lepanto, and Byron took command of part of the rebel army.  However, on 2 February 1824, he fell ill before the attack could take place and was prevented from joining any action.  Although he made a partial recovery, his fever worsened and Byron became weaker, a situation not helped by the regular "bleeding" carried out by his physicians.  On 19 April 1824 he succumbed to his illness and died.

Following Byron's death, his heart was removed, placed in a box and buried under a tree in Messolonghi, where he was considered a hero of the Greek Resistance. 

Sorrento, by Lesley Wells

As Byron and his friends went about their Grand Tour, their path led to Sorrento and Capri.  Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula, about 35 miles south of Naples and within sight of Mount Vesuvius, the only living volcano on the European mainland and famous for its destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

Sorrento itself is a bustling town where many British tourists can be found enjoying its views, buildings, market places and shops, alongside equal numbers of Americans, some Germans and French.  A walk along the Drains of Sorrento, the name given by the locals to the winding, narrow, mediaeval shopping lanes, provides a wonderful experience for shopping and sampling local produce, gifts and goods.  Each lane is home to several cafes and restaurants with enticing menus and delicious food, delivered with a friendly and welcoming service.  The atmosphere is lively and vibrant.  The surrounding area of Sorrento is indeed picturesque and scenic and the drive along the Amalfi Coast presents ideal opportunities for superb photographs.

One of the places in Sorrento where eating is a serious business and the service is friendly is The Foreigners' Club.  Here you can sample the menu while taking in the breathtaking views of the Marina Grande and the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the distance.  Dining in the evening while watching the sun setting over the horizon is enhanced by the nightly dancing to a live band.  Here you can cha-cha, waltz and quickstep yourself into the night.

From Marina Grande in Sorrento regular catamaran sailings go daily  to Capri, a small island off the coast of Sorrento and frequented as much at the rich and famous as by everyday tourists and holidaymakers.   There is a wealth of walks to be enjoyed, taking in beautiful views and scenery, history and archaeology at the Palace of Tiberius with amazing views across the sea.

A visit to Pompeii and Herculaneum takes you back in time to AD79 when Vesuvius literally exploded continuously for three days, during which time Pompeii was destroyed by burning ash and Herculaneum was engulfed in a sea of thick, volcanic mud.  As you amble around both places it is easy to imagine yourself as a Roman walking around a bustling, lively centre, popping in and out of shops and fast-food joints, taking a visit to the local bath house or just relaxing in the courtyard of your villa.  You can still see the painted frescoes on the walls of the houses and villas, the mosaic floors that decorated the homes of Roman citizens.  For the brave and fit of heart, a climb of 600m takes you to the top of Vesuvius.  Occasionally it will puff smoke and rumble a little, though much of the time it is silent.  As they say, it's the silent ones you have to worry about, and Vesuvius is expected to make an explosion of Pompeii proportions sometime in 2008, so if you want to see it, see it now!  The walk is energetic and tiring, but worth it, at least to be able to say "I've done it!"

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